The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-14
THE RED RIBBON.
ORDER OF THE LEGION OF
HONOR.
A Great Incentive to French Bravery
in Battle How 1t Was
Founded by Napoleon l..
A Stirring Recital

A Paris letter 10 the Dan rranClsCo
Chronicle says: There are a good many
men and few women who wear the red
ribbon of the Legion d'Honneur, and
every year, at the 14th of July, num-
Der of persons are thus decorated; never
theless the list is not increased, for the
new members are not more than enough
to fill the death vacancies. Since the
German war the order has grown in point
of members from about $4,000 to over
10000. After the siege, Paris was filled
with heroes who had performed acts OF
self Devotion" or had rendered military
services. A clubite who had proposed
to install convex mirrors on the ramparts
of Paris, with which to collect the rays
of an autumn sun and roast the Prussians,
successfully claimed the reward, and was
thus decorated, as were great many
other persons who had no better claim
than he to the red ribbon. Presently tho
distribution of crosses grew so scanda.
lous that law WIS passed putting an
end to the profusion of decorations
which tended to bring discredit on the
ORDER" and decreeing that there should
be only one appointment or promotion
for every two vacancies. That was in
1874, and there was then 80, 793 members
of the Legion of Honor who belonged
to the army, and more than 15, 600 civil
ians, without counting the 81, ,45O mill
tary medals, which, however, are really
not q part of the order.
The legion was instituted by the First
Consul, Ronaparte, in 1902, and as he
himself his informed US, ''if it were not
the recompense of civil as well as mill.
tary services it would cease to be the LIE.
gion of Honor" 1t would be q strange
piece of presumption, indeed, in the mill.
tary of any country, to pretend that
honors should be paid to them only; and
here in Europe soldiers are proud OF bear
ing, in recompense for heroic deeds, the
same decorat on that is given to men who
have become distinguished in the sciences,
literature, arts and mechanics, while these
latter attach greater value to this reward
of their labors because it is the decora-
ton of the brave. Napoleon was wise
man, who builded we'll and for all time
to come. In his day the order was com.
posed of q grand conseil of sixty grand
eagles-now called grand crosses-and OF
sixteen cohorts, each with seven grand
officers and $50 chevaliers; and there was
not then any military medals or palms OF
officers of the Academy and of public In
struction. But he was creating barons,
counts, dukes, princes and kings also,
and with these titles and the $500 and
odd crosses he rewarded about all who
deserved to be rewarded.
Twas down at Boulogne last week and
strvlled over the immense natural amphl-.
theatcr which spreads out on the right OF
the fort facing the English channel, where,
in 1904, the troops of France to the mum.
Der of over 100, 600 were looking toward
London. One particular day in August
Napoleon Bonaparte drew up his army
before the stones that mark the tower
that Cesar built. The sky was cloud
less blue, the ar so dry and pure that
across the waters the outlines of foreign
coast stood sharply defined against the
horizon, and the frowning Notifications
of Dover, with the English ships of war
riding at anchor, could be seen easily.
The Grande ArmDe was there, victors of
Arcole, of the Pyramids, all OF them,
every mothers son of them and VIVIAN
diers, too, burnt by the sun of every
cline, proud with glory conquered on
many soils helmets, bayonets, swords
and cuirasses flooded with the golden
rays of summers sun, and all waiting
for their Emperor. In the center OF this
mighty plain standards and flags and
eagles richly gildcd covered the green
that stretched out before the throne
where the Little Corporal was to take his
stand, and which was shaded by an ar
rangcment of the many flags that had
been captured from enemies. Warhorscs
neighed and stamped their feet, arms
sparkled. standards shone out brightly,
and the murmur of the soldiers
rolled in waves to the foot of
this imperial throne, like unto the
mighty waves that beat in foaming
breakers against the rocks where shore
and sen were welded. One hundred
thousand heroes were there to see their
general fasten with his own hand to the
breast of comrades the red and burning
flower of battlefelds; red, not like the
rose that dudes as boutonnieres, nor
such a red as women daub on their faces.
but red like the fame which is belched
from the caunon's mouth in the heat OF
combat, rcd like the crimson blood that
gushes from the open wound of q saber's
Stroke, red like the living hearts OF heroes.
He made the ribbon red so as to perpetu-
atc on the breast of those to whom ne
gave the cross the sublime wounds re-
ccived for their native land.
Bueles sounded, the heat of 1000
drums was heard, and 500 cannon thun-
dercd also in the salute thus given an
Emperor. The earth shook as If with
an earthquake, the smoke of gunpowder
clouded the sky, and across the shim-
mering sea England, behind her wooden
ships, heard the army thus proclaim the
presence of one who had already con-
aucred nearly the whole of Europe. Ac-
companied by his brother, his
Marshals and many Generals, Napoleon
mounted the steps of this throne, and
the grand army gave forth a great cheer
that went over the waves and was echoed
back by the white cliffs of Albion. Then
a dccp silence fell on all. The mighty
commander, as grave and solemn as any
god that ever graced Olympus, stood up
and glanced over his faithful soldiers.
Two Marshals came to his side, one car
rvinp the helmet of Bayard. the other
that of Dugucsclin. and both helmets
wore filed with crosses of the new order.